Walter Padick
Flagg is a nemesis of Roland who was introduced as the man in black who Roland pursues in The Gunslinger. He is a demonic sorcerer and an emissary of the Crimson King who goes by many names, including Randall Flagg, Walter O'dim, Rudin Filario, Raymond Fiegler, Richard Fannin (probably many other RF names) and Marten Broadcloak. He first appears in Stephen King's The Stand, ''and was also prominent as the antagonist in ''Eyes of the Dragon (also known as the magician Flagg). Background Flagg's original name was Walter Padick. At a young age Padick left his home in the Easter'd Barony and went to travel the rodes. At a young age Walter was raped by a fellow wanderer, but instead of returning home he went on to fullfill his destiny. Over the years it is implied that Walter learned the ways of Dark magic and became a very powerful sorcerer and to some extents becoming a sort of Demon with a sort of "quasi-immortality". It may have been, at one point or another, that Walter was taught ark magic by the Maerlyn, the very Wizard who is responcible for forging the Bends O'the Rainbow, the Mystical seeing balls (One of which Roland finds in Wizard and Glass) because he is often seen posessing said seeing balls throughout different parts of the dark tower story, using them for his own wrong doings. Life of Evil and Chaos Flagg/Walters appearences throughout the tale of The Dark Tower (and other tales that connect to it closely) are very criptic at times and due to this Randall Flaggs life is somewhat of a puzzle and only bits and pieces of his long life are known. Possibly early in his carrier as a dark sorcerer, Flagg sought to overthrow the peacefull kingdom of Delain and plunge the land into a thousand years of anarchy. Flagg first just appears as a long time advisor to the throne (going back multiple generations) but secretly has wicked intentions. Flagg's first attempt to overthrow the kingdom comes in the form of an assassination attempt on Queen Sasha, who is pregnant with Thomas, heir to the thrown. Flagg eventually succeeds in forcing the queens maid to murder her, despite Thomas being born. As the boys Thomas and Peter grow older Flagg schemes another plan. This time he poisons King Roland and frames Peter. The high judge finds peter guilty and locks him away in the needle (a huge dungeon tower at the center of Delain's royal city). As a result of this Thomas is declared king of Delain but gives a large portion of the power over to Flagg because of his young age. Knowing who is behind the entire mess, Peter manages to escape the needle and with his allies goes to retrieve King Rolands bow and kill Flagg. Upon reaching Delains royal chamber they find no bow and Flagg reveals his demonic qualities to them. Flagg is about to kill Peter and his allies until Thomas intervenes with the Royal bow. He shoots Flagg in the eye but the dark wizard uses magic to disappear, escaping them. shortly after Thomas (who has become hated throughout Delain) leaves with a friend, Dennis, to go and track Flagg who is on the run. Eventually they confront him but the result of the showdown is unknown. These events are chronicled in Stephen Kings novel, Eyes of the Dragon. When Roland was a young boy, Flagg, under the name of Marten Broadclock, orchestrates a devious plan of treachery in service of the Crimson King. Marten becomes the sorcerer of Steven Deschain and seduces Roland's Mother Gabrielle into having an affair with him and exposing it to Roland on purpose. This enrages Roland to the point of taking his coming of age gunslinger test at the unheard of age of only 14. Marten Broadclock hopes that he will fail in his test and be sent west with all other failed gunslingers. Unfortunatly for him; Roland succeed's, besting his gunslinger teacher Cort. Marten had another plan to murder Steven Deschain through his own wife Gabrielle, who Broadclock seduce's, but this plan also fails. after this, Marten also aids John Farson in the destruction of In-World and the eventual the fall of Gilead. After witnessing the final destruction of Gilead, Flagg fought with the other reamnants of John Farsons armies at Jericho Hill, under the name Rudin Filario. Filario was the screaming blue-faced barbarian who shot an arrow through the eye, ending the life of Rolands best friend, Cuthbert Allgood. After the battle of Jericho Hill, Flagg takes on the persona of Walter O'dim (or better known to Roland as the Man in Black) and flees from Roland. After this Roland begins his long trek across the wastes of a world that has "moved on" following Walter's every move and slowly getting closer to the Man in Black. After many long years of traveling across the ruined Mid-World landscape Walter rests on the far side of the Cyclopean Mountains after tempting Roland to drop his travelng companion Jake. It is there that Roland finally catches Walter and they palaver. Walter fortells Rolands future using a personalized deck of tarot cards and tells him that he must wait for the time of the drawing. After this Walter shows Roland a vision of multiple levels of the Dark Tower. Roland remains asleep for hundreds of years after his vision and Flagg escapes him and places bones in his black clothing to make it look like he died long ago. Flagg's ultimate gole is similar to his enemy Roland's. He intends to take over the room at the top of The Dark Tower and become "God of All". Flagg attempts to manipulate Mordred Deschain by getting a hold of his birthmark spider leg to open the door of the Tower. Upon meeting with Mordred to Palaver, the young spider boy senses his intentions and forces him to tear out various body parts for Mordred's nourishment and then proceeds to kill him in a rather brutal manner. Category:The Dark Tower characters